If the blood sugar of a person with type 2 diabetes rises too high after meals despite diet management, exercise, other forms of diabetes medication or basal insulin therapy, the addition of mealtime insulin to the therapy may come under consideration. Pre-mixed insulin may be a viable alternative for insulin therapy for a person with relatively regular mealtimes, amounts of carbohydrates in meals and exercise.
In pre-mixed insulin, rapid- and long-acting insulins are combined to a specific ratio. Pre-mixed insulin is normally administered twice a day, i.e. at breakfast and in the afternoon for the day’s main meal. Metformin and SGLT2 inhibitors are normally used in addition to it, provided that there are no contraindications.
Depending on the blood sugar level, the therapy can initially entail 4–6 units of a 30/70 pre-mixed insulin product, for example. The dosage is adjusted on the basis of the blood tests at breakfast and the main meal. It is also a good idea to test blood sugar at bedtime, for instance, once a week.